


Forever

by BansheeLydia



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Character Death, F/F, Ficlet, Heavy Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4544478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BansheeLydia/pseuds/BansheeLydia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>written for the teen wolf femslash bingo. </p>
<p>Soulmates AU with Cora and Lydia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever

**Author's Note:**

> kirasmalydia.tumblr.com/tagged/teen wolf femslash bingo

Until she met Lydia Martin, Cora had never even been on a date.

She’d never been in a relationship, never held hands with someone, never been kissed. Until she met Lydia Martin, Cora had never even wanted those things; she didn’t care about love or relationships. She cared about surviving.

Lydia changed that.

The first time she’d seen her, she’d taken Cora’s breath away. She was so strong. Cora recognized Lydia instantly as a survivor, just like her. The intelligence in her eyes, the secrets in the curve of her lips, the beauty of her, it captivated Cora.

It was Lydia who first made a move, asking Cora out for coffee. It had been stilted and awkward, Cora unsure of what to do or say, but Lydia had smiled at her like she was the only person in the room, had taken her hand and brushed a kiss across the knuckles, and Cora was so, so gone.

Lydia was her first in every way that mattered to Cora. Her first date, her first kiss, her first time. Lydia took her to prom, took Cora apart after in the quietness of the loft, and put her back together with gentle hands and loving kisses.

She was Cora’s first love. 

*

“We need to talk,” Derek says and Cora frowns at him. Derek’s talks never mean anything good. 

Slowly, she sinks down onto the couch, munching on cereal as she waits for him to say something. He paces in short, sharp strides while Scott and Stiles gaze on from where they’re sat on the spiral stairs, Stiles leaning back against Scott’s leg. 

“You know what soulmates are?” Derek finally stops and looks at her.

Cora rolls her eyes. “Yes, Derek. I wasn’t raised in a cave.”

Soulmates. It wasn’t something that happened to every werewolf, but it’s something that can happen to any werewolf. A moment where you meet the person you’re destined to be with. A feeling of _yes, finally, it’s you_. Like puzzle pieces slotting together. They’re supposed to be everything you need, and you everything they need; true love, utter contentment, a _forever_ kind of feeling.

Cora’s never had much belief in it. 

Derek looks at her for a moment, eyebrow raised, and Cora just gazes back at his pointed expression, offering a little shrug. She’s not really sure what he’s getting at.

“Lydia?” Derek prompts.

Cora frowns at him, confused, and then, _oh_.

Of course.

*

She doesn’t know how to tell Lydia. Lydia’s never mentioned it and Cora thinks that maybe Lydia doesn’t know. She imagines Lydia’s read enough about werewolves to have at least passing knowledge of the concept of soulmates, yet she’s never brought it up, and Cora’s not going to be the one to start that conversation. 

How does she tell Lydia that she’s her forever?

Lydia’s going to college after the summer. She has this whole future ahead of her. How is Cora supposed to tell her that she’s her soulmate, that they’re destined for each other? Lydia will freak out. She won’t want it. And she’ll break up with Cora.

The idea makes her heart seize. She can’t ruin this. She knows it can’t last forever, but she can’t be the one to ruin the relationship, not now, not so soon. 

So she doesn’t say anything, and she keeps on not saying anything.

*

“I love you,” Lydia says softly on a hot summer evening.

The air’s warm and thick. The window is open, but with no breeze, it does little to cool them down. Cora lets her legs tangle with Lydia’s, pressing kisses over the slope of her neck and shoulder. Lydia smiles, turning her head to kiss her properly.

“I love you too,” Cora murmurs against her lips.

Lydia pulls back enough to give her a blinding smile, gazing at her with a soft, happy expression on her face, and Cora’s unable to look away. She could say it, right now. _You’re my soulmate_. Lydia loves her. They have the whole night ahead of them, tucked up in Lydia’s bed, limbs and lips locked. She should say it.

The words are on the tip of her tongue and Lydia just gazes at her, but everything gets choked up in Cora’s throat. She can’t risk this. She can’t.

She leans down and kisses her instead and Lydia kisses her back, slow and deep before rolling onto her side. Cora tucks herself behind her, holding her close, and squeezes her eyes shut.

She doesn’t sleep. 

*

There are werecoyotes.

A whole pack of them. They want to take Malia in, make her one of their pack. Malia doesn’t want that.

They don’t take kindly to their differences in opinion.

They’re in the loft, coming up with a defence plan; Stiles, Scott and Derek are looking over a map of the preserve, Allison and Isaac are training in the main room, Kira and Malia are talking quietly by the window.

Lydia’s curled up in a chair, book in her lap. It’s a bestiary, written in a language Cora doesn’t understand, but Lydia’s attention is wholly captured by the text. Reading up on werecoyote packs, Cora knows it without having to ask. 

If anyone gets them out of this situation, it’ll be Lydia.

Lydia looks up, like she can feel Cora’s gaze on her, and offers her a small, reassuring smile. Her hand catches Cora’s briefly as the werewolf passes the chair, gives it a small little squeeze before letting go.

_It’ll be okay_.

*

It’s not okay.

Lydia’s broken and pale on the ground and Cora – she _can’t stop the bleeding_. She presses shaky hands over the wound in Lydia’s side, tries to make it go away, but she can’t stop this, can’t make this okay.

She tries to take the pain, but there’s none to take. Lydia gazes up at her with tears in her eyes, but she’s smiling even as she cries. 

“I’m just cold,” she whispers.

“Just – just hold on,” Cora begs. “Until Scott’s here, he can – he can turn you.”

Lydia doesn’t say a word, but Cora knows what she’s thinking: Lydia’s immune. The Bite wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t save her. They’re alone in the woods, howls sounding out from the trees, but Cora’s alone and Lydia’s dying and she can’t _save her_.

“I never -,” a sob breaks free, “I never got to _tell_ you.”

Lydia’s hand takes hers, surprisingly steady as she lifts Cora’s hand to her mouth, brushes a kiss across her knuckles. “I know. I’ve always known.”

Cora can’t help the sound that escapes her, desperate and broken. “Why didn’t you say?”

Lydia smiles softly. “I wanted forever with you.”

Her grip goes slack on Cora’s hand and she moves to cup Lydia’s face, saying her name, tries to get her to just hold on, until help gets there, just hold on and stay with her and _don’t go, please don’t go_ –

Lydia’s eyes go glassy, body limp, and her hand falls to the ground.

Cora sobs and howls and screams, presses her face into Lydia’s hair as she shakes, because it’s not right. It’s not _fair_.

They were supposed to have forever.

**Author's Note:**

> kirasmalydia.tumblr.com - come say hello? :)


End file.
